Business owners and managers are being advised on how to recognise and tackle low employee morale before it hinders their company’s goals.
The office experts behind LondonOffices.com have revealed their six best tips for sparking positive change and boosting employee morale.
An unenthused team with high turnover rates should be a huge red flag to business owners and leaders, but a surprising number of bosses aren’t willing to go the extra mile to make sure their staff are happy and motivated.
Many managers fail to realise that low employee morale impacts individuals’ productivity, as well as the company’s ability to retain talent.
Chris Meredith, CEO of LondonOffices.com said:
“Employers who are finding that their staff are literally dragging themselves through the door every morning and can no longer recall the sound of laughter in the office should take heed – you need to tackle low morale before it hinders your business.
“Employee morale describes the overall outlook, attitude, satisfaction, and confidence that employees feel at work.
“It can quickly build or break a company’s success, so managers have a responsibility to enlist simple and creative approaches to strengthen it before it leads to poor cooperation, low productivity and increased staff turnover.
“Things like giving regular praise and letting your colleagues voice their concerns are easy to put into place, but the impact they can have is tremendous.”
Don’t forget to have fun
With mountains of work to get through each day and deadlines constantly looming, it can be easy to fall in to the ‘All Work, No Play’ mentality – but this is only going to take its toll on your employees.
Ultimately, staff go to work to get a job done, but spending over 40 hours each week doing the same tasks day in, day out can get extremely dull.
So, whether it’s a quick round of drinks on a Friday afternoon, or a big team building day out every quarter, your staff will appreciate the break in monotony.
Be prepared to take the bullet
When your people are facing challenges and morale is sinking, be willing to step up to the mark and tackle particularly difficult issues yourself.
Whether it’s dealing with a challenging client or handling an awkward confrontation, showing your team that you’re willing to put your neck on the line to save them hassle will undoubtedly increase morale and team spirit.
Give praise where praise is due
Everybody loves a bit of positive recognition every now and then, so stop overlooking staff members’ good work.
Regular positive feedback and recognition may just be the key to unlocking exceptional performance and improving employee morale – and the key word is here ‘regular’. Leaving it to yearly review meetings just won’t suffice.
Let them speak
Meet with each of your team members one-on-one to allow them chance to vent any frustrations or voice any concerns privately. Take what they say seriously and make sure to act on anything within your power.
Employees that trust you and feel able to talk and be listened to will be more willing to put the work in, knowing their opinions are valued.
Authentic care
Whether it’s a simple birthday card or a bunch of flowers for a staff member going on maternity leave, these relatively inexpensive demonstrations show that you genuinely listen to your employees and care about their lives – and not just within the office walls.
This can go a long way towards making employees feel connected to their team and the business, and create a happier staff body overall.
Make work meaningful
When employee morale is taking a bit of a bashing, take the time to return to the vision on which the business was built in the first place. Ask yourself why the business exists, and how the work of employees influences this purpose.
Then, communicate this back to your staff. Emphasising the importance of their work both as individuals and teams is bound to improve morale and motivation.
Rebecca joined the HRreview editorial team in January 2016. After graduating from the University of Sheffield Hallam in 2013 with a BA in English Literature, Rebecca has spent five years working in print and online journalism in Manchester and London. In the past she has been part of the editorial teams at Sleeper and Dezeen and has founded her own arts collective.
